The Meditation Industry

Executive Summary

Meditation, a cornerstone of Eastern philosophy and a part of American culture since the 1960s, has developed into a major business enterprise. Supported by an increasing number of scientific research papers quantifying its effects, meditation, often called mindfulness, generated $1.2 billion in revenue last year. Four in 10 adults in the United States say they meditate at least weekly, and major companies including Google, Apple, General Mills, Goldman Sachs and Aetna have adopted meditation programs for their employees. The industry has attracted $260 million in investments since 2012.

Here are some key takeaways:

Health insurance giant Aetna reported that employees’ annual productivity rose by about $3,000 each after they participated in a mindfulness training program.

Headspace, the largest of nearly 1,000 mindfulness apps, raised $36.7 million in funding in 2017. The company offers in-flight meditation channels on eight airlines and released plans for public, phone booth-sized relaxation “pods.”

Experts say the industry’s growth raises concerns about the need for credentialing. Founders of new, for-profit mindfulness services say they are modernizing ancient teachings to make them accessible to the general public.

Van Dam, Nicholas T., et al., “Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation,” Association for Psychological Science, October 2017, http://tinyurl.com/y9vqjhub. A group of psychologists and cognitive scientists examines past mindfulness studies and raises concerns about poor methodology and exaggerated claims of benefits.

Reports and Studies

“Frequency of meditation,” Pew Research Center, 2014, http://tinyurl.com/ydyhj588. A nonpartisan research organization publishes a religious landscape study to show the demographics of meditators in the United States.

Oliver, Kelsey, “Alternative Healthcare Providers in the US: Market Research Report,” IBISWorld, June 2017, http://tinyurl.com/ybzawocs. A global business intelligence research firm analyzes the current state and future growth of the alternative health care provider industry in the United States.

Graham, Jefferson, “Apple’s favorite app of the year wants you to unplug,” USA Today, Dec. 7, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/y9n5695e. Apple chose Calm, a mobile app that centers on mindfulness and meditation for better sleep, as its 2017 iPhone app of the year.

Margolin, Emma, “Why choosing a mental health app is harder than you think,” NBC News, Dec. 21, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/y6twnxb2. Mental health mobile apps that deal with meditation, substance abuse, stress and depression are becoming more prevalent. But experts caution about the lack of research on the apps and warn against individuals using them instead of seeking treatment from a professional.

Productivity

Fries, Kimberly, “Why Millennial Leaders Are Depressed And How to Fix That,” Forbes, Dec. 31, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/y8dgkes4. Depression costs billions in lost productivity, and meditation in the workplace is one way to deal with the issue, says a Millennial communication and leadership coach.

Merle, Andrew, “How to Maximize Small Pockets of Time,” Huffington Post, Dec. 28, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/yc8qv64g. Individuals have small opportunities throughout their day to be more productive by using spare moments to exercise, meditate or check in with family, says a Huffington Post contributor.

Purtill, Corinne, and Khe Hy, “Don’t ask how to be more productive next year. Ask why you want to be,” Quartz, Dec. 28, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/ya49ala7. Meditation is only one small stepping stone, not a magic fix, for increasing productivity, according to a reporter for the digital global business news site Quartz (Purtill) and a Quartz contributing editor (Hy).